It’s furnace season! While many homeowners utilize electric heating solutions, the vast majority of homes in the United States use natural-gas powered furnaces. This is good news, since gas-burning furnaces are becoming increasingly efficient and effective at keeping homes comfortable during the coldest of winters.
So, let’s say you just dusted off your heater and turned it on—only to be greeted with some rank smell. What does that mean? Should you panic? Well, when you’ve got the experts on the case for furnace service in Boerne, there’s no need to panic.
We’re going to talk about all of the things that a bad-smelling furnace could signify, and if they’re dangerous or potentially harmful, we’ll be sure to let you know. If you’re concerned about the safety of your home, make sure you call our team or the fire department to ensure that safety is the number one priority!
The First Smell of the Season
When you turn your heater on for the first time in the heating season, it might not be a picture-perfect reunion. There can be a lot of dust that accumulates on the interior components of your furnace. As the system heats up, that dust can begin to burn off and cause a nasty smell. Though, there are a couple things to keep in mind when this happens.
- How bad is the smell? If it’s really unbearable, then perhaps it’s something else and not just the burning of excess dust in your system. If you notice that it’s really quite bad, then it might be a good idea to call a professional technician to inspect the system to be safe.
- How long does it last? The smell of burning dust should really only last for a couple of minutes. Afterward, you should feel the effects of a nice, warm breeze that comes from your vents. Prolonged bad smells need to be addressed because they usually signify something sinister happening inside your furnace.
When Smells Go Bad
Aside from the smell of dust being burned off your system when you use it for the first time in the season, there shouldn’t be any other smells. Anything else that you can detect coming from your furnace signifies something really bad.
For instance, gas can leak from your heater which can ultimately be a fire hazard and a major safety concern. If you smell gas (that rotten egg-like scent), then make sure you get out of your house and call our team as soon as possible.
Likewise, ensure that you’ve got carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home. While carbon monoxide doesn’t smell like anything, and can be nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye, it can be absolutely terrible to deal with. You could encounter headaches, nausea, fatigue, and even fatality in rare cases. This is not something to mess around with. Make sure your home is properly equipped with detectors to spot carbon monoxide, and that you call for help when you notice something smelly coming from your system.
D’Spain Sales & Service has your back when it comes to furnace safety. Call us today!
